


I'll Never Leave You

by samoosifer



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Gallavich, Gallavich AU, Ian x Mickey - Freeform, M/M, Shameless, Shameless AU, ian x mickey au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 15:06:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5009365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samoosifer/pseuds/samoosifer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'i work really late hours and your place is the only place that delivers food at this time in the morning' au.</p><p>So this is my first proper attempt at writing bipolar Ian. I didn't want to do too much bc I was so nervous over it so I kinda cut it short and kinda wanna get rid of the bipolar side of it all together. Please tell me if this isn't done right or is offensive or too upsetting or anything at all. I really don't want to upset anyone or anything like that. </p><p>I only own Jeff okay don't touch my baby boy but everyone else is the product of some robots so pls dnt sue</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Never Leave You

"See you tomorrow, Ian." Andy called as he left the locker room. 

"Yeah, whatever." Ian muttered, waving a hand over his shoulder half heartedly. Why the fuck did that guy keep trying? Ian had already told him a dozen times that he didn't date people from work. Especially when that place was a gay strip club like The Dark Side. They had all kinds of fucked up workers there. Ian had done pretty well in not trusting anyone, or making friends at all. 

Ian emerged into the alley at the side of the joint and shivered as the wind swept up the dead leaves around him. It was quarter past two in the morning and Ian was dying to get home into bed. It wasn't a long walk, but in the icy weather, it felt like a thousand miles. Ian pulled his jacket tighter around and him set off, ignoring the yells from drunk patrons and the like. 

His phone rang when he was a block away from his apartment building, vibrating against his thigh. Ian pulled it out and struggled to answer the call, his fingers numb and useless. 

"Hello?" He puffed when he finally managed to swipe the green phone picture to the side. 

"Ian, hey." The guy said in a gruff voice.

"Who is this?" Ian asked hesitantly, vaguely recognising the voice through the haze of the drugs wearing off. 

"You're kidding right?" The guy half laughed. When Ian didn't respond he let out an exasperated sigh. "It's Lip. Your fucking brother? The only person that would be calling you at this time?"

"Shit, sorry Lip. I didn't read who it was properly. I'm so fucking cold it was a struggle to even answer the god damn thing." Ian grumbled. "What do you want?"

"What? No love for your big brother?" Lip asked, broken hearted. 

"You didn't call at four in the morning because you wanted to talk. Now spit it out, I'm almost home." Ian snapped. He had no patience for Lip's antics right now.

"Okay. Jesus. Someone didn't get enough bills down his pants tonight." Lip grumbled.

"Lip, I swear to god." Ian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he reached his building.

"So you know how I really needed that two hundred to take Karen to that concert?" Lip asked, starting a well rehearsed speech.

"I'm not lending you any fucking money. Not again. You still owe me fifty from the last time." Ian muttered, punching in the code to get inside while mentally cursing whoever had the idea to have absolutely no shelter at the front door. 

"Yeah, I don't need money. I also have your money. I just need an alibi for tonight." Lip stated, hope drenching his words.

"What? What the fuck have you done?" Ian almost laughed at his stupid brother. For the smartest one in the family, he sure as hell did some stupid shit. He stepped inside and sighed in relief over the heaters being on. He headed over to stand under one and thaw out.

"Nothing big, just a valet scam. Some jerk tipped them off, giving them my name, so I bolted." Lip sighed. 

It was then that Ian noticed that Lip sounded like he was outside. "Where are you? You're not-"

/tap tap tap/

Ian spun around to see Lip standing outside with the biggest shit eating grin ever. "Hi." He waved. 

Ian threw his head back and groaned, before hanging up his phone and letting Lip in. "I fucking hate you. I really fucking hate you." Ian sighed. 

"I know." Lip agreed, strolling over to the lift. Ian just rolled his eyes and let him crash at his place. 

"Have you had dinner yet? I'm starving." Lip asked as they stepped into the lift. 

"I have chinese food on its way. It'll be here in like half an hour." Ian said, clinging to the hand rail in the lift. He fucking hated them. They made him claustrophobic and sick. 

"When did you order that? You only just finished, didn't you?" Lip looked at him in askance as the doors dinged open. 

"It's a set up I have with the place down the road. They're the only place that delivers at four in the morning." Ian informed him, letting Lip into his apartment. "Every Friday night they deliver food to me at four and every saturday night they deliver food to me at half four."

"Well shit. That's a pretty sweet deal. Mind if I steal some?" Lip asked as he collapsed on Ian's couch, kicking off his shoes. He was definitely staying the night.

"Do I have a choice?" Ian asked hopefully, dumping his stuff on the floor before mimicking Lip, falling down next to him with a groan. 

"I'll pay for it."

"Yeah, and give me my fifty bucks, you douche."

*

"Yo! New guy! Do you have my order ready?"

Mickey suppressed the insult and turned around with the bags in hand. "I sure do, Cap'n."

Jeff stared at him before rolling his eyes and snatching the food from him. "You'll be taking over this run next week. He's one of our regulars so if you fuck it up then there'll be hell to pay."

Mickey nodded and slapped his hand to his chest dramatically. "On my honour."

"Don't get smart with me, dickface. You only have this job because of me. Don't fuck it up." He snapped before heading out of the store, Mickey glaring at him the entire time. 

Jeff smiled to himself as he climbed into his car. It pained him to be a dick to Mickey but if things were going to go as planned, then he had to. No matter how many times he did this though, it never failed to amaze him that every single time, Mickey was a sarcastic asshole to strangers. He was yet to come across a universe where he was an actual decent human being. 

Jeff started his car up and blasted the heater on, desperately trying to warm up. He wasn't even going to be in the car for long. Ian only lived a five minute drive away in the worlds shittiest apartment building. It was worth it though just to see Ian. He hated seeing him twice a week for only five minutes but he had dealt with worse. 

In the beginning, he had panicked, not knowing where Mickey was. But then Mickey had been dragged in by Mandy, demanding a job for him. Thank god Jeff's boss hadn't been around to see the scene they'd made. There was no way he would have let Jeff hire Mickey if he had seen the show he had put on. 

Jeff pulled away from the curb and sped off down the street, getting there in record time. He got out and quicky punched in the code, diving inside into the warmth. He took the lift to Ian's floor and tried to stop grinning at the thought of seeing Ian again. It was a pretty good set up Ian had organised. Jeff knew how to get into his place and would walk straight in. If Ian was asleep, he'd wake him up for his food and they'd talk for ten minutes. If not, they'd talk for even longer. Ian would even share his food sometimes. 

This time, however, when Jeff walked in, there was someone else with Ian. Someone who Jeff hadn't seen in about twenty odd years. 

"Whoa, what the fuck? Dude you can't just walk in. You never heard of knocking?" Lip asked, jumping up, ready to beat the shit out of him. 

"Yes he can. Told you, my set up." Ian called, strolling out of the bedroom in some loose fitting track pants and nothing else. Jesus, if he did that next week then Mickey would probably have a heart attack. 

"Hey, Ian." Jeff smiled, handing him the bags of fried chicken. "Who's this?"

"Stupid brother." Ian muttered, taking no time to open the food up and stuff some chicken into his mouth. He paused eating for a second and looked at Jeff. "Can you do us a favour?"

"Yeah, sure. Anything for my best customer." Jeff nodded eagerly. 

"If the cops call you, can you tell them that you delivered this food at- what time Lip?"

"Half past eight."

"At half eight and that Lip was here?" Ian asked hopefully. 

"I- sure." Jeff nodded again. Fucking Lip. "I'm not going to be in trouble for this, am I?"

"Just a small scam that he needs an alibi for." Ian shrugged, sticking a handful of chips in his mouth in one go. "Yhou'll bee fhine." He said around his food. 

"Gotcha." Jeff smiled, bouncing on his heels. 

"Can we help you with anything else?" Lip asked, getting up from the couch and nabbing some chips from Ian. 

"As much as I appreciate your patronage, I do need to take some money back."

"Oh, shit! Sorry. Hold on." Ian stammered, food flying everywhere as he swore. "Fuck. Where the fuck did I put my wallet?"

"Here." Lip sighed, pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket. "How much is that?"

"Thirty three fifty."

"Thirty- jesus, Ian. How much did you fucking order?" Lip shook his head, counting out the bills. 

"What? I didn't ask you to pay for it." Ian shrugged, coming back over to watch. "Make sure you give him a decent tip."

Lip glared at Ian before counting an extra ten. "Happy?"

"Not particularly." Ian grinned. 

"Thanks, man. I'll see you tomorrow night." Jeff smiled. 

"Oh, no. I need to cancel tomorrow night. I had to swap shifts so I'm not working late tomorrow. Won't need it." Ian smiled.

"Oh."

"Yeah, so I'll see you next week."

"No you wont. This is my last week. Being replaced by this super great guy." Jeff sighed, sadness gripping him. This might just be the last time he see's Ian for a while. 

"Oh, you're serious?" Ian asked as Lip took all the food and sat down. 

Jeff nodded. "Got a job offer at a law firm" He lied easily. 

"Congrats man. Still, that sucks." Ian looked down at the floor. "This is weird man, I feel like I should hug you."

Jeff tried his best not to seem over eager. "I don't mind. I've known you for a few months now." Jeff laughed. 

Ian hesitated for a moment before shrugging and pulling him into a hug. "You're the best delivery guy I've ever had."

"Get a room!" Lip yelled behind them.

"Thanks man. That means a lot." Jeff joked, holding on for just a second too long. 

Ian let go and cleared his throat. "Make sure you tell the new guy the code to get in and which apartment I'm in."

"Will do." Jeff nodded. 

"I'll see you around, I guess."

"It was nice knowing you." Jeff smiled. He left the apartment and  
got back in the lift, letting out a small groan. If only he could leave now and see them both again straight away. Unfortunately, he had to stay and make sure Mickey didn't fuck it up. 

*

Jeff was in his office out the back, going over his invoices, when a knock came on his door.

"Come in." He sighed, not looking away from his paper work. 

"Jeff?" Mickey poked his head through the door. "Uh- the- the cops are here for you."

Jeff's head snapped up. "The fuck for?"

Mickey shrugged and walked away, leaving his door open. A second later, the cops walked in and greeted Jeff. 

"We just wanted to ask you a few questions about some customers you might have delivered to a week ago?" 

"Absolutely. It's the only night I do deliveries. What time were you looking at?" Jeff asked, pushing aside his invoices and looking at them inquisitively. 

"Around eighty thirty in the evening?"

"Uhh. . ." Jeff pretended to think about it for a second. "I think that was either the old lady and her daughter or the two brothers down the road. One of them a redhead. Gave me a good tip, he did."

"Okay and-"

"Jackson, that's all we need. We need to take this." He nodded to his walkie talkie that was crackling instructions. 

"Thank you for your time. We'll be in touch."

They left and Jeff snorted to himself. What a waste of fucking time. Whatever Lip had done, it can't have been that big of a deal.

"What was that all about?" Mickey waltzed back in, leaning against Jeff's desk like he owned the place.

"Never you mind. Go get some work done."

*

"The door code is 5674 and his apartment number is 53D. On the fifth floor. Do you want me to write it down?" 

Mickey rolled his eyes in frustration and shook his head. "I've fucking got this, jesus. It's one simple delivery down the road." 

"I mean it Mickey, don't mess this up. He is a valued customer. You have to be on your best behaviour. No being a smart ass. No making fun of him. No snapping. Just give him his food and be friendly." Jeff reiterated for what felt like the hundredth time. He was probably being dramatic and over the top. Ian and Mickey did always end up together, no matter what happened. Jeff just couldn't help it though. Whenever their getting together was delayed because of someone being a douchebag, it was usually Mickey and his hard demeanor. 

"I'm going to go now." Mickey sighed, grabbing the food from the counter and heading outside before Jeff could start again. It was raining heavily outside and in the few seconds it took for Mickey to get into his car he was already pretty fucking wet. "Fucking great." He muttered to himself.

He started the car up and sped off down the road, screeching to a halt outside the apartment building. Mickey looked outside, peering through the rain, and groaned. There was no fucking shelter over the door. 

"No point fucking around." He grumbled to himself. He jumped out of the car and sloshed up to the door. There was only one problem. He had forgotten the code. He tried a few random numbers to no avail. He looked to the side and saw the phone to call the apartments themselves on the wall, complete with its own little shelter to protect the phone but not the callers. He picked it up and typed in 58D. It rang and it rang and it rang until finally some angry chick picked up. 

"What the fuck are you doing at four in the fucking morning?" She demanded, reminding Mickey eerily of Mandy. 

"I take it you didn't order the take aways?" Mickey sighed, wiping the water from his face. He was soaked through and his patience had reached its end. He hung up the phone without waiting for a reply and tried another number. He knew it was in the fifties and that it had a D but that was all he had. 

It took him another three tries before he finally got the right one.

"Hello?" 

"Did you order takeaways?" Mickey sighed, already prepared for an angry no.

"Yeah! You're the new guy right?" He asked. 

"Yeah, and I forgot the fucking code. Can you please let me in before I catch a fucking cold?" Mickey snapped. 

"Sure thing." He said happily. A second later the doors unlocked and Mickey rushed inside, shaking the rain out of his hair. He got in the lift and jabbed angrily at the button for the fifth floor. Fuck this stupid customer and his stupid fucking apartment building. Jeff could go and fuck himself. No way was he doing extra service for this douchebag just because he was a regular.

He found 53D and knocked on the door, giving his face another wipe to get the water out of his eyes. The door opened and Mickey was faced with possibly the hottest guy he had ever seen. All he was wearing was a towel round his waist and a grin that was way too big for four in the morning. His bright red hair was sopping wet, dripping down his face, freckled chest and shoulders. It was a spectacular sight.

"Hi!" He smiled, opening the door wider for Mickey to come in. 

Mickey stayed rigid and held out the bag of food. "Thirty three fifty."

"Do you wanna come in? Dry off?" He asked, ignoring Mickey's outstretched hand. When Mickey shook his head he rolled his eyes and pulled him in anyway. 

"The fuck, man?" Mickey cried out in surprise, stumbling slightly. 

"Put the food on the table and start stripping down. I'll give you some clothes to wear while we dry yours." He called as he left the room. 

Mickey was frozen in shock, his eyes darting around the room for any signs that this guy was a serial killer. Mickey had half a mind to dump the food and run. Pay for it with his own money. But then Freckles threw a towel at him, hitting him in the face, and snapped at him.  
"Dude, fucking take your wet clothes off or you actually will get sick." 

Mickey hesitatantly sat the food on a table before pulling his jacket off. He shucked his shoes off and stopped. What the fuck was he doing?

"You're a little bit shorter than me but these should fit." Freckles returned, wearing some loose fitting track pants, and sat some clothes on the table next to the food. "You can have a shower if you want? Warm up a bit?"

"Seriously, what the fuck man?" Mickey asked, staring at this guy incredulously. 

"Quit questioning and do it." Freckles rolled his eyes. "I'll wait in here." He left Mickey alone again and started talking a mile a minute from the next room. "My name's Ian Gallagher. I've been ordering from you guys for like six months now. Every Friday and Saturday night. Well technically morning." He laughed. "You guys are the only place I know that delivers at this time. It's a shame Jeff is leaving for a law firm but, you know, who wants to work at a fast food joint for the rest of their life?"

Mickey stopped changing his clothes for a second. "Law firm?"

"Yeah, he told me last week. Has he not told you yet? Shit. Maybe he wanted to keep it a secret."

"Probably." Mickey muttered, pulling the shirt on and enjoying the warmth that came with it. He grabbed the towel and dried his hair with it as Ian emerged from the next room again. 

"Okay. I'm gonna take your clothes to the laundry room downstairs and get them in the dryer. Feel free to turn the TV on if you want. Eat some food." Ian smiled, scooping up Mickey's wet clothes and disappearing out the front door. 

"Uh- shit." Mickey sighed. He stood stock still, looking around uncomfortably before bursting out laughing at the entire situation. He should probably call Jeff but his phone was in the car. Mickey spotted Gallagher's phone and sighed. He probably wouldn't mind. This guy was the living embodiment of Ned Flanders. 

He grabbed the phone and dialed his work. 

"Jeff's takeaways, how can I help?" Came Jeff's tired voice from down the line.

"Uh- Jeff, it's Mickey." Mickey said awkwardly.

"Oh hey. What's going on? You almost back?"

"No. I uh forgot the code for the building and got drenched outside. Gallagher he uh. . ."

"Took your clothes and is drying them for you?" Jeff finished for him. 

"How the fuck did you know?" Mickey asked.

"It happened to me once before. Sort of. You just gotta roll with it. He's a little crazy at this time in the morning. Think it's something to do with whatever his job is." Jeff sighed, sounding like he knew more than he was letting on.

"Right. Well, I was just calling to let you know that this is why I'm not back yet."

"Gotcha. I'll see you soon." Jeff hung up and left Mickey to continue standing in the middle of the living room. 

He sighed before doing as Freckles had said and turning on the TV. American Dad was on so he settled in, enjoying the relief of sitting down. He was due to finish after this run but he wasn't really complaining for basically getting an extra paid break. 

Ian returned after a few minutes and went straight to the food, not even saying anything to Mickey. He ripped into his chicken and ate with gusto, silently sitting next to Mickey and offering him some chips. Mickey hesitated for a second before giving in. He was fucking starving. 

"I saw this episode this morning. Can we please watch something else?" Ian asked like it wasn't his TV in his apartment. 

"Whatever you want, man. This is your place." Mickey shrugged, snagging a few more chips.

"Well yeah, but you're a guest." Ian looked at him pointedly, turning the news on. 

"Hardly." Mickey muttered under his breath. Ian just looked at him before facing the TV. 

Mickey couldn't stop fidgeting. He felt itchy and hot sitting next to a topless Ian. It was the weirdest situation he had ever fucking been in. Sitting in some strangers apartment, in a strangers clothes, eating a strangers food and watching a strangers TV. 

Ian was watching him out of the corner of his eye and decided to speak up to ease Mickey's anxiety. "I promise I'm not a murderer. Just a nice guy."

"That's what they all say." Mickey laughed. 

Ian sniggered. "Your clothes will be done in like ten minutes. You can go after that. I'll even give you my umbrella for the journey from the door to your car. This apartment building is fucking stupid."

"Yeah, it fucking is." Mickey burst out. "Who the hell doesn't put shelter over the door but does for a tiny fucking phone that probably doesn't get used at all?" 

"I know, man. It's okay." Ian smiled, placing a warm hand on Mickey's knee. Mickey was about to slap it away when Ian took it away himself, focusing on the news again where the reporter was talking about Australian government ignoring the majority vote to legalize same sex marriage. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ian burst out, throwing his arms in the air dramatically. "It was a fucking public vote and Tony Abbot is literally ignoring the entire country."

"You uh, you care a lot about the rights of gay people?" Mickey asked hesitantly.

"Well considering I am one, yes. Even if I wasn't though, I would care." Ian said defiantly, daring Mickey to disagree. "Why? Is that a problem for you?"

"No! No. I was just- just curious." Mickey muttered, resigning to keeping quiet. Unfortunately, he found himself continuing to talk. "It just fascinates me that people are so out and proud like that."

"What do you mean?" Ian looked round at him, pausing the TV to listen to Mickey. 

Mickey mentally punched himsef for saying anything but ploughed on none the less. "Well, you get all your gay people who shake their asses in parades and shit but I could never do that. I just accept what I am and get on with my life. No need to make a big deal about it and risk your own life. " He shrugged, feeling his cheeks burn up. He was probably redder than Gallagher's hair by now.

"Well, some people like to be out and proud. Makes them feel more secure with their identity and who they are as a human being." Ian said slowly. 

"I'm not- I'm not shaming them or saying they shouldn't." Mickey rushed to reassure him. "I was just saying I think it's weird is all." 

Ian nodded, staring at Mickey blankly before cracking a grin. "Fucking dork." He unpaused the TV and continued watching the news, finishing up his food while Mickey stared at the table, willing his stupid face to cool down. 

Time seemed to fly by after that. The news finished and was followed by some comedy show in England. Mickey ended up watching the entire thing with Ian, laughing and joking together. Ian told Mickey about his job at The Dark Side and his studying of film production. Mickey found himself telling Gallagher about his sister and how she had forced him to get this job before their family fell to pieces with their dad in prison. He even told Ian about how abusive his dad was, something he had never told anyone before. It wasn't until Mickey noticed the sun coming up through Ian's window that he started freaking out. 

"Holy fuck. What the fuck is the time?" Mickey jumped up, looking around as his tiredness hit him suddenly.

Ian looked at his watch, stretching on his couch and causing all his muscles to flex. "It's half past five in the morning. Jesus." He yawned. 

"Fuck. I should have- shit." Mickey spun around as he tried to get his bearings. 

"Let's go get your clothes." Ian yawned again, completely at ease. Mickey watched as he stood up, scratching his arm, and walking casually into his bedroom. He returned wearing shoes and a shirt, holding his umbrella tightly. 

"Ready to go?"

"I- what about your clothes?" Mickey asked, wondering if he actually was about to be killed. 

"Just return them tomorrow night." Ian shrugged. "Come on."

Mickey blindly followed Ian all the way down to the basement, getting ready to defend himself should Ian start attacking him. But Ian only pulled his clothes out of the dryer, shoes included, and handed them to Mickey. Mickey rushed to get his socks and shoes on, sighing as the warmth spread through his feet. He pulled his jacket on and held his pants and shirt in his arms, clinging to the only warmth in the cold basement. 

"You wanna go get breakfast?" Ian asked Mickey as they headed up into the lobby.

"Uhh. . ."

"Come on. My shout. We can stop by your work and I can actually pay for my food." Ian laughed loudly. 

"Don't you want to sleep?" Mickey asked incredulously.

"Nah. I don't start work til late. I have plenty of time." Ian smiled easily. 

Mickey shook his head at how easy going this dude was. Nothing seemed to phase him. "I need to get home, sorry. Mandy will be wondering where I am and I'm doing the late shift again tonight."

"No problem. I understand. I'll see you tonight then." Ian said, opening the front door for Mickey. 

"Wha- tonight?" Mickey questioned, walking backwards through the door. 

"My delivery?" Ian raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Oh, right." Mickey blushed. He stood on the street awkwardly, unsure of how to end the weirdest night of his life. 

"You know, after all of this, you never actually told me your name." Ian admitted sheepishly, giving Mickey one of his ridiculously pretty grins.

"Oh my god." Mickey burst out laughing. "It's Mickey. My name is Mickey."

"Thanks for a fun night, Mickey." Ian looked down at the ground, hesitating for a moment, before leaning forward and pecking Mickey's cheek. Before Mickey could even react Ian had disappeared inside, leaving Mickey to, once again, wonder what the fuck had just happened. 

*

It was ten o'clock when Ian slipped down the alley beside his work. He went in through the back door where the loud music was thumping through the walls of the dingy hallway that lead to the staff only areas of the club. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about Mickey all fucking day and he honestly didn't care one single bit. He entered the locker room to find Andy in the middle of getting changed. 

"Hey!" Ian said cheerfully, going straight to his locker to get changed as well. 

"Hey. How come you're so happy?" Andy asked, not missing a beat. 

"Hmm? Oh nothing. Just- nothing." Ian smiled even wider. 

"Come on, Ian. Tell me." Andy pleaded. "Who is he?"

"How do you even know there is a he?" Ian asked indignantly, hiding his stupid face in his locker.

"Because I've never ever seen you smile like that. You practically floated into the room. You're either high already or you met a guy." Andy laughed.

"Fine." Ian relented, unable to stop the smile from spreading across his face. "His name is Mickey. He's like a head shorter than me and thinks he's this big tough guy but he's an adorable fucking dork." Ian gushed.

"Oh my god. That is adorable. Where did you meet him?" Andy squealed. 

"He's my delivery guy. Hot as hell. Has fuck you up tattooed on his fingers. I'm charmed as fuck." Ian grinned, stripping down and pulling his skimpy outfit on. He slammed his locker shut and leaned against it, looking at Andy's grinning face. 

"Jesus christ. Turn that fucking smile down. It's blinding me." He laughed and left the locker room. Ian took a moment to try and calm himself before following Andy out for a night of ass shaking, sleazy old guys and party favours. 

*

When Ian returned home that night, he was still buzzed on whatever pill his last client had given him. He was starving and knew he should have stayed up to wait for Mickey but he had no control at that moment. Ian stumbled inside his apartment and collapsed on his couch, crashing and falling asleep instantly. He was so out of it that he didn't hear the knock on his door. Mickey was standing outside with Ian's food getting impatient. After three more tries he got so fed up that he walked straight inside. The door was unlocked but it was pitch black inside. He would have thought that Ian wasn't home had it not been for the snoring coming from the couch. 

Mickey sighed and felt the wall for a light switch. He found it and flicked the light on to reveal Ian lying on the floor sound asleep. 

"Fucking, Gallagher." He sighed and sat the food on the table and considered what to do. Unable to decide, he opted for calling Jeff. He had experience with this. 

"Jeff's takeaways, how can I help?"

"It's Mickey. What do I do if Gallagher's asleep? Should I dump the food and go?" Mickey whispered, watching Ian's chest slowly rise and fall. 

"Wake him up. Is he in his bed or on the couch?" Jeff asked hesitantly. 

"The floor next to the couch."

"Shit." Jeff sighed heavily, sounding worried and sad. 

"What? Is that bad?" Mickey asked, feeling panic start to rise in his chest immediately. 

"Yes. No. I- maybe. I don't know. Just wake him up. Don't forget to get the money for last night as well." Jeff said and hung up. 

"Okay, jesus." Mickey muttered and put his phone back in his pocket. He walked over to Ian and crouched down. He tried shaking him lightly, whispering his name. When that didn't work he stood up. This wasn't his fucking problem. He rubbed his face with his hand and groaned before kicking Ian in the ribs. "Gallagher. Get up. Foods here."

Ian moaned and rolled over, grumbling under his breath. 

"Ian? Wake the fuck up." Mickey almost shouted, giving him another kick. 

"Fuck off!" He shouted, suddenly wide awake. Mickey watched as he sat up and rubbed his ribs, looking around at where he was. "How the fuck did I end up on the floor?"

"Probably fell off the couch." Mickey grunted. "You gonna pay for your food?"

Ian turned to face Mickey and smiled at him. "Hey, Mick. What time is it?"

"Just after four thirty. Now pay me for this and last nights delivery so I can go home to bed." Mickey demanded, determined to not have a repeat of the night before. 

"Uh, sure. Just give me a second." Ian moaned, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing. He struggled to his feet and staggered into his kitchen, muttering the entire way. 

Mickey tapped his foot impatiently as he listened to Ian rustle about in his bedroom, glancing at his watch every now and then. "Come on, Freckles. I got places to be." 

He returned empty handed. "I left my fucking wallet at work." Ian grunted angrily. His face fell into the light and Mickey almost gasped. He looked like complete hell. His eyes were bloodshot, eyeliner smeared underneath, making the bags look even worse than they already were. 

"You alright? You look. . . High." Mickey ended awkwardly. 

"I'm fucking fine. Just- if you wait I can run back to work and grab it." Ian said, already getting ready to leave. 

"Dude, you are in no state to be driving right now." Mickey said seriously, moving to the door to block Ian from leaving. 

"What? I don't drive. The Dark Side is like four blocks away. I walk."

"Well then, let me take you." The words were out of Mickey's mouth before he even knew what he was offering. 

"Okay." 

And that was how Mickey found himself in the middle of boystown at almost five in the morning, with Ian Gallagher. It was the first time he had ever been there and it was the most daunting thing he had ever done. Ian wasn't at all phased. He lead Mickey down the side alley and into a locker room where a tall skinny black guy was at a sink throwing up. 

"Andy." Ian muttered, heading straight to his locker. 

"Ian?" He choked out, spitting into the sink before running the tap. "What are you doing here?"

"Left my wallet." Ian sighed as he failed to unlock his locker. He slammed his fist on the door and sighed again. 

"Let- let me do it." Mickey said, rushing over before Ian broke a bone. "What's your code?"

"90210."

"90- I should have known." Mickey rolled his eyes and twisted the dial. 

"Who are you?" Andy asked, walking over to take Mickey in. 

"His fairy god mother." Mickey snapped. 

"Oh my god, you're Mickey. Shit, Ian wasn't lying." Andy whistled, looking Mickey up and down. 

Mickey turned to glare at him, too exhausted to care about him knowing Mickey's name. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Uh- no. Was just wondering what was going on. Never mind then." Andy backed off and went back to the sink. 

Mickey opened the locker and rifled through the pile of sparkly clothes until he found Ian's wallet. "Alright, let's go, firecrotch." He turned around to see that Ian was nowhere in sight. "Where did he go?"

Andy simply shrugged from where he stood, eyeing Mickey up even more. 

"Great help, man. Thanks a lot." Mickey shot daggers at him before heading back out into the alley. Ian was nowhere in sight. Mickey headed back into the dark hallway and went round a corner instead of into the locker room. He emerged into the club itself and immediately got a headache. The lights were flickering insanely and the music was so loud it made Mickey feel like an old man complaining about the volume. 

He scanned the room and found Ian just in time to see some asshole put a pill in his mouth. "Jesus christ." Mickey groaned. This was not in his fucking job description yet he still felt the need to take Ian back home. He marched over, guns blazing, and didn't even bother saying anything to the dickbag trying to take advantage of him. He just grabbed Ian by the arm and pulled him away, heading straight for the exit. 

"How much for the two of you?" Someone growled huskily in Mickey's ear once they were outside. 

He spun around and glared at the pasty white man. "We look like a couple of twinks for sale to you?"

"Yes." He winked, giving Mickey a grin that was probably supposed to be seductive.

"Well this ain't Macy's bitch, you ain't window shopping. Get the fuck out of here." Mickey growled, shoving the man away. He turned back around to find Ian sprawled in the gutter, unconcious. 

"Fuck, Ian. The hell did you take?" Mickey muttered. He unlocked his car before hauling Ian into his arms and over his shoulder. He struggled to get the back door open but finally managed to lie Ian down on the backseat before getting into the front and driving away. He somehow managed to find his back to Ian's apartment and was presented with the task of getting him up into his apartment. It was a fucking mission and a half but he managed it. 

He took Ian inside and into his bedroom, laying him carefully on his bed. He pulled his shoes off and hestitated before pulling his pants and shirt off and pulling the blanket over him. He didn't feel comfortable staying the night but he really didn't feel comfortable leaving Ian alone in case something happened. 

"I'll be asleep on the couch if you need me." Mickey whispered, feeling stupid for talking to an unconsious man. 

"No, please- please stay in here with me." Ian yawned, making Mickey jump. 

"Uh-"

"Please." Ian whispered hoarsely, a hand emerging from the blankets to grab at Mickey blindly. 

Mickey sighed before kicking off his shoes and climbing on top of the blankets, lying on the very edge of the bed, away from Ian. "Go to sleep, Ian."

"Thanks, Mick. You're a real friend." Ian mumbled sleepily. Within seconds he was snoring his head off, unaware of the man freaking out next to him. 

*

When Ian woke up the next morning, he wasn't immediately aware of where the insane warmth was coming from. He couldn't even see properly. It was all light and dark shades of brown. When he started to panic that he had lost his sight, the shades of brown moved away and suddenly Ian could see clearly. 

He was spooning Mickey, both of them half naked, in his own bed. What the fuck did he take last night? He slowly moved his body away, carefully pulling his arm out from underneath Mickey, and swung out of bed. The place was fucking freezing. He clearly didn't turn the heating on the night before. 

He slipped out into the lounge, shutting the door behind him, and went straight to the kitchen. It was only half past nine in the morning. He knew he should probably go to sleep for a bit longer but he was fucking starving. His food from last night was still sitting on the table, untouched and cold with a few flies sitting on top of it. He picked it up and threw it in the bin with a sigh. 

He then went about getting breakfast together, complete with bacon and eggs, and turned the radio on quietly, humming along to Ed Sheeran. After a while, right when he finished cooking, Mickey emerged from Ian's bedroom. 

"Morning, sleepyface." Ian smiled at him. "Hungry?"

"How the fuck did my clothes come off in the night?" He uttered out, blinking in the bright lights. He looked ridiculously adorable with his hair ruffled and sleep ridden face. 

"I don't know man. Maybe you took them off in your sleep? I was out to it all night." Ian shrugged. "Come on, get some breakfast." 

Mickey stared at him before sighing and joining Ian at the table. As they tucked into their breakfast, Mickey asked the question Ian knew was coming. 

"So, what did you take last night?"

Ian clenched up inside but answered with an air of ease like he usually did. "Dunno. I never ask." He shrugged. He wasn't exactly ashamed of what he did, but he knew how judgemental people could be. If he shrugged it off and acted like he didn't care, people kept their thoughts to themselves. It had worked a hundred times before and it worked again. 

Mickey nodded, concern ghosting over his face for a second but it was gone before Ian could really register it properly. They were eating in a weird silence for a bit before Ian broke it when The Luck You Got by The High String started playing on the radio. He jumped up, discarding his cutlery, and cheered. "This is my fucking song! This is probably the only song me and my entire family agree on. Dance with me!" 

"I'm not fucking dancing." Mickey laughed, shaking his head as Ian started nodding to the beat and jumping around. 

"Come on!" He pleaded. "Think about the luck you got! Know that it's not for nought!" 

"Ian, I swear to god." Mickey groaned. There was no stopping him. He danced and sang the entire way though the song, constantly asking Mickey to get up and dance with him. He was topless and his face looked like death but still, Mickey found it extremely fucking endearing and he hated himself for it. He had known Gallagher for two days and already he was turning mushy. 

When the song finally ended Ian sat back down. "Whoo! That was a rush." He grinned, resuming his eating like nothing had even happened. He wasn't even puffed, the bastard. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Mickey asked. 

"Lots." Ian waggled his eyebrows at Mickey with a toothy grin that made Mickey's heart flutter. God dammit. 

They both finished their breakfast and let out sighs of contentment. Ian stared at Mickey for a moment before getting up and taking their plates out. "Do you want a shower before you go? I don't mind."

"No, I'm good, thanks. I'll just head home." Mickey stood up. He went into Ian's bedroom and pulled his clothes on, confused as to why he took them off in the night. It was probably Gallagher's fault somehow. Mickey found it easier to blame Ian than to think it was himself taking off his armour and letting himself enjoy sharing the same bed as another guy. 

When he returned, Ian was flicking through the channels on the TV. "So Freckles, how did Andy know my name?"

Ian's head spun around painfully fast to look at Mickey. "How the fuck do you know Andy's name?"

"We- when you went to pay me for the food last night, you said you left your wallet at work so I drove you down to go get it. Andy was in the locker room and he knew who I was." Mickey informed him, fighting back the grin at Ian's blushing face.

"Well I- He-" Ian stammered before standing up taller and looking down at Mickey. "I think you're really fucking cute and I kinda wanna get with you in any way shape or form and Andy figured out that I was mooning over a guy when I got into work. Why?" 

Now it was Mickey's turn to blush. He kept looking around the room, scratching the back of his neck before finally looking Ian in the eye. "Fuck you, Ian." 

"Please." Ian pouted, causing Mickey to blush redder than Ian's hair.

"I'm going now. I'll see you next week." Mickey called loudly, turning away from Ian and walking to the door. 

"I bet I'll see you sooner." Ian said simply, following him to the door. 

Mickey opened the door and turned around. "This is the last time you will see me until next week." He slammed the door shut and Ian couldn't help but grin at the wood. He was about to go get in the shower when his door opened again and Mickey walked back in. He grabbed Ian's shoulder and stood up on his tiptoes to plant a kiss firmly on Ian's lips. Ian was frozen in shock, unable to respond. Right when his body kicked into gear, Mickey let go and walked out the door again, giving Ian the finger over his shoulder. 

Ian shut the door and leant against it, smiling to himself. He so had to call Lip.

*

"What the fuck are you smiling about?"

"Huh? Oh nothing." Mickey shrugged, forcing his face to relax into a neutral expression. It lasted about three seconds before he was smiling again. 

"Seriously, Mickey?" Mandy kicked his leg roughly. "Fucking tell me or I'll tickle it out of you."

"Fuck off." Mickey rolled his eyes. He reached for the remote on the coffee table when Mandy was suddenly tackling him into the arm of the couch, expertly pinning his arms above his head with one hand while tickling him with the other. 

"Fucking tell me!" She shouted.

"Fuck! Mandy! No, get off!" Mickey laughed uncontrollably. "Fuck you!"

"I'm not stopping 'til you tell me!" Mandy repeated, continuing to hit all of his sensitive spots. 

"Fine! Fine!" Mickey wheezed. "Just get off me!" 

Mandy let go of his arms and he took full advantage, flipping them over so he could tickle her back. 

"No! Mick, please! I'm sorry!" She squealed. 

"Yeah, that's what you get!" Mickey laughed, letting go a moment later and falling back down onto the couch with a heavy breath. 

"Tell me then." Mandy said after they'd caught their breath. "Who is it?"

Mickey started smiling again as Ian wandered into his head again. "So, on the weekends, I do delivery and there is this one guy that-"

"You met a guy?! Oh my god, why am I only just finding out about this?" Mandy kicked him again. 

"Because I only met him last weekend, jesus. Would you quit fucking kicking me?" Mickey snapped, shuffling further away from her on the couch. 

"What's his name? What does he do? Have you banged him yet?" Mandy said in a rush, nudging him with every fucking syllable. 

"Quit fucking touching me." Mickey said in a huff, standing up and moving to the arm chair. 

"Well stop stalling and fucking tell me, you douche." Mandy rolled her eyes. 

"You never really gave me a chance." Mickey mumbled, slouching down in his seat. "His name is Ian and-"

"Ian! Awww!"

"Mandy!"

"Sorry."

"He works at The Dark Side and is studying film production. He lives just down the road from work and-"

"Hold on." Mandy interrupted his gushing. "He works at The Dark Side? Isn't that the strip club?"

"Yes. Anyway, I met him on Friday night. Got stuck outside his apartment and got soaked so naturally, for him, he pulls me inside, makes me take all my clothes off and put his on while he dried mine in the basement. I ended up eating his food with him and confessing my deepest darkest secrets until the break of dawn." Mickey let out a huge sigh, remembering how easy it had been to talk to Gallagher. 

"Damn. . ."

"I know. He walked me to my car and he. . ." Mickey faltered, too embarrassed to say anything. He knew it was fucking stupid though. Mandy was constantly telling him about different dates she had been on. 

"Did he kiss you?"

"On the cheek." Mickey admitted, sheepishly. 

"Mick, that's fucking adorable. So, you really like him?" Mandy asked cautiously, knowing how fragile and touchy Mickey could get over this sort of shit. 

"I must do because I fucking ran circles around him at five in the fucking morning. Slept in his bed. Had fucking breakfast with him like we were on the fucking Brady Brunch or some shit."

"Oh my. Mickey Milkovich. Shacking up with a stripper." Mandy grinned. "Did you kiss him again?"

"I- did." Mickey couldn't help but grin. 

"Who initiated it?" 

"Me. I was leaving but I returned to- to- yeah." Mickey scratched his nose and looked away from Mandy's ridiculous face. "Quit fucking looking at me like that."

"When are you seeing him again?"

"Tonight at work. Now would you stop it with the fucking questions?" Mickey snapped, standing up. "You can watch whatever you want. I'm going to sleep for the rest of the day."

"Don't forget to set your alarm." Mandy called as he stalked into his bedroom. 

*

"Jeff? I've got a customer that wants to speak to you. They're pretty angry."

Jeff took off his glasses and set his pen down with a sigh. "Thanks, Matthew. I'll be out in a minute." Jeff ran his hands through his hair and left his office. At the counter, a balding, old man was glaring at a scared looking Matthew. "What seems to be the problem here?"

"I'll tell you what the problem is, this young man was giving me cheek." He snarled, gesturing at Matthew. 

"Really? How so?" Jeff asked, ready for the backlash when he supported Matthew. 

"He complained about the prices and I told him that I don't get to pick the prices so he complained some more, insulted me and then asked for you." Matthew rolled his eyes. 

"Is that right?" Jeff asked the customer, leaning on the counter top to get closer to him. 

"Well I-"

"Listen buddy, I prefer to keep staff over customers. Having prices like these means I can afford to turn away assholes like you." Jeff smiled widely. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

The man looked at Jeff in complete shock before turning and stalking out as Mickey walked in. "I wouldn't spend your money here, young man. The cashier has the manager wrapped around his finger and thinks it's okay to insult customers." 

"I'm sure you deserved it." Mickey snorted, shoving past him and smiling at Jeff. "How's it going?"

"You're awfully cheerful to be at work." Jeff observed, watching Mickey all the way to the lockers. 

"Yeah, what's it to ya?" Mickey muttered, pulling his apron out of his locker and shutting his keys inside. 

"Never mind." Jeff smiled and went back into his office, leaving Mickey to start cooking the food.

"Yo, Mickstopher, order up." Matthew called through the hatch, pinning the ticket with the others. 

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that." Mickey gritted out, glaring at Matthew. He didn't even work in the kitchen and his face looked greasy. Covered in pimples like he was pubescent. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen. Almost sixteen." Matthew said defiantly. 

Mickey snorted and started preparing the order. "Should have known. 

*

"Just me and you, Mickey." Jeff called through the hatch. "

"Matthew gone?" Mickey asked, wiping his hands on his apron. 

"Yeah. Once you've got Ian's order ready you can go." Jeff came into the kitchen, grabbing a cloth to start cleaning. "Seeing as last week you failed to return both times, I figure you can just finish up. I'll make sure you get paid the ten minutes it takes to actually deliver the food."

"That- is entirely Gallagher's fault. The first time he stole my clothes so I couldn't leave and the second time he was high out of his mind so I had to stay. Make sure he hadn't over dosed." Mickey said matter of factly.

"Uh huh. Sure. Just make sure he pays you this time. He ended up coming in on tuesday to pay for the weekend orders." 

"Will do." Mickey muttered, packing Ian's food into a bag. "I'll see you tomorrow night." 

"Have fun." Jeff sang. Mickey flipped him off and walked out the door. Jeff sighed happily over it all. He had barely even tried at all yet Ian and Mickey were doing what they do best and falling in love. Sometimes, Jeff wished it was as easy as sending Mickey off to deliver food. It would get him moving on to the next universe so much faster. It was a rare occasion when this sort of thing would happen. Unfortunately for Jeff, he knew that with universes when Ian was in his situation, problems were inevitable and Jeff was usually there to pick up the pieces. He just had to wait it out and hope there wasn't too much of a fall out.

*

When Mickey arrived at Ian's that night, he was expecting Ian to be watching TV or sleeping. Not jerking off in his bedroom. He didn't even hear Mickey come in. It was all dark and quiet so Mickey assumed he was sleeping. He switched the light on and left the food on the table, heading towards Ian's shut bedroom door. He opened the door and froze at the sight. Ian was sitting on top of his bed, laptop open and his dick out. 

"Uh- shit. Ian. Jesus." He stammered out, turning around as Ian slapped his laptop shut. 

"Mickey. Jesus. What's the time? I didn't realise. Fuck, I'm so sorry." Ian rambled, the sounds of clothes rustling behing Mickey. 

"It's four man. Wouldn't you have only just gotten home?" Mickey asked, staring at the ceiling as he waited. 

"I got off early. Thought I had time to-" Ian broke off, clearing his throat and pushing past Mickey in a pair of track pants and nothing else. 

"Well you thought wrong, Freckles." Mickey sighed, following Ian to the table. "You got my money this time?"

Ian turned around to face Mickey, wallet in hand. He was still extremely hard and Mickey couldn't stop himself from glancing at his crotch every few seconds. "Is there something wrong?"

"You want some help with that?" Mickey croaked out, licking his lips subconsciously. 

It was like some sort of telepathic communication. One minute they were both staring at each other intensely, unmoving. Next minute Ian had thrown his wallet to the side and they were both rushing to cross the distance between them. Mickey grabbed Ian's face in his hands as they kissed, holding him in place while Ian's hands wrapped around Mickey's waist. 

It didn't take much for Mickey to match Ian's enthusiasm. They were pressed so close together, Ian's hips grinding forwards into Mickey's. 

"Fuck." Ian mumbled, moving his lips down to Mickey's neck. "Want you so bad." Kiss. "Haven't been able to stop-" Bite. "Thinking about you since-" Kiss. "I met you."

"Ditto." Was all Mickey could manage, clutching helplessly as Ian pushed him backwards into his bedroom and over the edge. 

They hit the end of Ian's bed and Mickey fell down onto his ass, scooting backwards as Ian crawled over him. Mickey watched with wide eyes as Ian pulled Mickey's shirt off, sliding his hands down his bare chest to undo his jeans as well. Mickey lifted his hips up and let Ian pulled everything off, freeing his dick of the tight constrictions. 

"Fuck." He whispered quietly, licking his lips at the sight. Mickey opened his mouth to say something but the words dried up in his throat as Ian suddenly went down on him, deep throating him instantly. 

"Oh fuck. Oh my god." Mickey moaned, fisting the sheets beside him as he watched Ian's head bob up and down. Ian reached a hand up as he went, finding Mickey's mouth and shoving two of his fingers inside. Mickey just sucked on them happily, not even questioning it. He was so gone on this freckly ginger boy and there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

Ian pulled his fingers out quickly and pushed one up Mickey's ass just as quick, causing him to shout out loudly. He added a second finger and a third, still sucking Mickey's dick as he stretched him out. In the back of his head he had the thought that Ian had a lot of experience with this but he pushed it aside, focusing on the feelings washing over him. 

"Just fuck me already." Mickey growled. 

Ian took his fingers out and replaced his mouth with his hand, jerking Mickey off as he reached to his bedside table and pulled a condom and lube out. He let go of Mickey and stared at him meaningfully as he prepped himself. 

"You good?" He breathed, pressing a kiss to Mickey's nose. 

"Mmm." Mickey nodded, grabbing Ian's dick to position it. 

Ian slowly pressed forward, both of them moaning in unison as Ian filled him up. He slowly pulled out again before slamming into Mickey hard, picking up his speed. He leant down and captured Mickey's lips, one of his hands reaching down to jerk Mickey off again. 

Mickey moaned into his mouth, spreading his legs even more to give Ian better access. With the better angle, Ian hit Mickey's prostate and he clenched up around Ian, almost crying with how good it felt. 

"Fuck, Mick. I'm gonna come." Ian moaned against Mickey's lips. 

Mickey took over Ian's jerking off, matching his pace even as it became more erratic. Mickey's orgasm took him by surprise, spurting on his stomach and Ian's chest right before Ian came, crying out so loud Mickey actually had an ounce of concern for the neighbours. 

"Fuck. Fucking hell." Ian puffed, slowly coming to a stop and collapsing on top of Mickey. 

"Tell me about it." Mickey laughed breathlessly. 

Ian pulled out and rolled onto his back next to Mickey, turning his head to face Mickey. "Well that was fun." 

"You could say that." Mickey grinned at him. "I gotta take a piss." 

He staggered out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. After he finished up he stared at himself in the mirror. Face flushed and tired looking. 

"You gonna stay over?" Ian was suddenly in the toilet with him, hooking his chin over Mickey's shoulder to look at him in the mirror. 

"The sun's almost up." Mickey pointed out. 

"Your point being?" Ian raised an eyebrow at him. 

"That you- yes. I will stay over." He smiled, turning around to face Ian properly. 

Ian smiled widely and kissed him on the nose. "Come on then. I'm fucking exhausted."

Mickey followed him out and back into the bedroom, both of them collapsing down at the same time. 

"Mickey." Ian whined, rolling onto his side to face Mickey. 

"What?"

"You're too far away."

"Well I- hey!" Mickey gasped as Ian reached over and pulled him flush against his body. 

"What's your problem?" Ian asked, pressing a kiss to the back of Ian's neck. 

"I just- this is weird." Mickey admitted, unable to stop himself from snuggling closer to Ian. 

"Mickey, your dick was in my mouth twenty minutes ago. What's the matter?"

"Yeah well that was sex and this is. . ."

"Cuddling." Ian finished for him. "God, you're adorable.

Mickey didn't say anything, just grinned and let himself relax into Ian, linking their fingers together as they fell asleep.

*

When Mickey woke up later that day, the sun was pouring in through the windows, keeping them both warm. Ian had rolled away slightly in his sleep and was still sleeping, soft little snores escaping his mouth. 

Mickey smiled to himselfand stretched his muscles, feeling like he could go back to sleep easily. Then his stomach gave a loud rumble, alerting him to the fact that he hadn't eaten dinner or breakfast. Mickey looked at Ian again, so peaceful in the afternoon light. 

His freckles looked more pronounced in this light and Mickey had a sudden urge to trace patterns on them. So he did. Small flowers and clouds. Just light enough to slowly tickle Ian awake. 

"Morning." He yawned, smiling sleepily at Mickey. 

"Afternoon." Mickey smiled back. 

"Shit!" Ian sat up suddenly. "Is it really afternoon? I had a fucking lunch date with my brother. Shit shit shit!" 

"That was just a guess. I don't know the exact time." Mickey yawned, sitting up to start pulling his clothes on.

Ian jumped out of bed and turned on his phone, wincing as a bunch of missed calls and texts came through. "It's two o'clock. I was supposed to meet him at half twelve. Shit, he said he's coming over to make sure I'm okay. When was that sent?"

In answer, loud banging sounded out in the lounge. "Ian?! You in there?!"

"Fucking christ." Ian sighed, quickly pulling on some clothes. He threw open the window just as the guy burst through the front door. "I'm here, Lip. I'm fine."

Mickey watched Ian leave, hesitating before following him out. 

"Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to meet me- oh. Hello. Didn't realise you had company." The guy said pointedly, eyeing Mickey up and down. "Little bit younger than usual."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Shut the fuck up. Lip, this is Mickey. My new delivery guy. Mickey, this is my douche of a brother, Lip." 

"Wish I could say nice to meet you." Mickey sniffed indifferently. He so desperately wanted to leave. But he wanted to talk to Ian first. But he couldn't. So he decided to leave straight away. "Ian, I'm gonna go. I'll uh. . . I'll see you tonight."

"What? Don't leave yet! Lip, you scared him away." Ian sighed angrily, following Mickey to the door. "Give me one minute."

He shut the door behind him and smiled at Mickey's expectant face. "So, you gonna stay over again tonight?"

"Maybe." Mickey shrugged, enjoying the way Ian seemed to be on a hook. 

"Sorry about Lip. He's never really been comfortable with my job." Ian apologised, scratching the back of his neck. 

"Don't worry about it. I gotta get going. Mandy's gonna want all the gossip."

"Okay. Thanks for. . . Everything." Ian smiled again. 

Mickey was about to turn to go but Ian grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss, holding him for just a few seconds before letting him go and heading back into his appartment. Mickey stood there and licked his lips, smiling to himself before leaving the building and heading home. 

*

Once Mickey finally accepted Ian into his life completely and started falling hard for him, he realised he had never been happier nor more worried. Ian wasn't right. He wasn't healthy. He wasn't happy.

Mickey first realised something was wrong when, two weeks after they first slept together, he had shown up to deliver his food and spend the night. Ian had been sleeping but when Mickey woke him up, he refused to get out of bed. He yelled at Mickey until he left him alone. So Mickey climbed into bed with him and waited til the sun was up only to have the same result. It was the same that night. He didn't go to work and he wouldn't get out of bed. He wasn't eating, he wasn't drinking, he wasn't doing anything. 

When Mickey tried asking Jeff about it, he clammed up and locked himself in his office for the rest of the night. Mickey was certain he heard him crying at one point. Mickey was at a loss for what to do. He ended up calling Ian's family, experiencing another encounter with Lip plus about fifty other people. The Gallagher clan. 

Mickey had stood back and watched as they all went in, one by one, and tried their best to make Ian get up. But nothing would fucking work. They kept muttering to each other, giving knowing looks and hugging tightly as if he was dying. 

"Would you tell me what the fuck is going on?!" Mickey had burst out suddenly. 

"We- we think he might be bi-polar." The oldest one said quietly glancing over her shoulder and Ian's still form. 

"What the fuck is that?" Mickey asked blankly, looking between all their stricken faces. 

"Manic depression. Insane highs followed by insane lows. It's nearly impossible to handle." 

Mickey's gut clenched up. He had heard of it before somewhere. A friend of a friend of a friend had it. "No. That- No." Mickey was shaking his head. He had only known Ian for almost two months but it still hurt like hell to know Ian was going through all that. 

"He needs to be admitted to a psych ward." Lip stepped forward, giving Mickey a cynical look. 

"No fucking way. No fucking way." Mickey shook his head even harder, running his hands through his hair. "He can stay here. I'll look after him."

"Mickey, he needs help." The younger ginger girl said. She was a spitting image of Ian. It was freaking Mickey out. 

"No. He's staying here. He's staying with me." Mickey glared at them all, daring them to challenge him. 

"Fiona. . ." Lip sighed, looking to the older chick for help. 

She looked at Lip before crumbling. "Okay. . . Okay."

*

"Jeff, it's Mickey."

"Hey, Mickey. What's up? How's Ian?" Jeff asked anxiously. 

"He's sleeping right now. I got him to eat yesterday though. I was just calling to say that I'm not gonna come in today. I just feel. . . Shit." Mickey finished lamely. 

"No problem. We've got that girl starting today so I can just train her instead."

"Awesome. Thanks for understanding, Jeff." Mickey smiled to himself, getting up from the kitchen table. He hung up and went about making breakfast for the two of them. Just a week ago he had been here trying to defend his right to look after Ian. With still no sign of Ian getting out of bed any time soon, Mickey could feel himself losing hope. He had already experienced those awful thoughts where he felt he didn't owe Ian anything and that he could just leave him to his family. Mickey hated those thoughts. 

When he finished cooking, he dished up the bacon and eggs and poured a coffee. He turned around to take it into Ian but almost dropped it all at the sight of Ian standing in the doorway to his bedroom. 

"Ian. . . You're up." 

Ian gave a small nod. "What's for breakfast? I'm starving."

"Uhhh I've got bacon, eggs and fresh coffee. Come on, sit down. I'll dish some more up." Mickey smiled, struggling to keep up the casual atmosphere when all he could think about was how sunken in Ian's eyes were, how frail his body was. He could see him shaking as he walked over to the table. 

"So, how's work been?" Ian asked as Mickey set the plates down and sat down across from Ian. 

"Oh. Average. Shitty customers. Shitty pay. The usual." Mickey said, his eyes roving over Ian's tired face. 

"I know what you mean." Ian smiled at Mickey. Mickey would have smiled back had it not been for the fact that Ian's smile didn't reach his eyes. It was more of a muscle memory thing. 

"Jeff is still working there though. Didn't you say he said he was going to a law firm or something?" Mickey asked, the thought occurring to him randomly. 

"I vaguely remember that. It was when I first met you right?" Ian asked, shovelling a mouthful of eggs into his mouth. He set his cutlery down and took a sip of his coffee, sighing in relief. 

"Yeah that was the first time we met." Mickey actually managed a genuine smile that time. 

"You looked so fucking hot that night. You were all sopping wet and angry. And so confused when I made you take all your clothes off so I could dry them." Ian grinned, staring into space as he reminisced. Mickey felt something go twang inside him at the sight. 

"Fuck. I'm gonna have so much catching up to do." Ian groaned suddenly. 

"You'll be fine. You didn't miss that much. And you've still got your job at The Dark side. . . If you still want it." Mickey cleared his throat, focusing on his breakfast. He looked up when Ian's chair scraped back. 

"What day is it? I need to take a shower and go and talk to my professors." Ian sighed, standing up. 

"It's Monday. Uh, don't you think you should take a moment to. . . Adjust?" Mickey asked hesitantly. 

Ian rolled his eyes at Mickey, stretching and making his joints click loudly. "I'm fine, Mick."

"Ian, you were in bed for a fucking week. You barely ate anything. You need to recover." Mickey stood up as well. 

"I'm fucking fine." Ian glared at Mickey for a moment before stalking off into the bathroom. 

Mickey sighed loudly and pulled out his phone to update Fiona and the rest of the Gallaghers. 

"Hey Mickey. Any news?" Fiona asked the second she picked up. 

"Yeah. I was about to take breakfast in for him and he was already up. He ate a decent amount compared to before but when I tried to stop him from going to school he said he was fine and went to take a shower." Mickey said, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

"Can you put him on for me?" Fiona asked breathlessly. 

"Yeah." He walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. "Ian? Fiona's on the phone. She want's to talk to you."

Silence.

"Ian?" Mickey called again. He opened the door and sighed. Ian was sitting in the bottom of the shower, still in his clothes, sopping wet. "I'll call you back in a minute, Fi." 

He hung up and set his phone aside. "Ian?"

"I don't wanna be me." He said, barely audible over the shower stream. He was leaning against the wall, staring at his hands as he picked at his nails. 

Mickey let out another sigh and climbed in with Ian, resting his head on Ian's shoulder and taking one of his hands into his own. 

Ian took in a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly. "I need help, Mick."

"I know." Mickey said, relief flooding through him. He went to stand up but Ian tightened his grip.

"Please don't leave me." He whispered.

"I won't. I'll never leave you."

*

One month later. 

*

"Ian! It's so good to see you!"

"Hey!" Ian smiled, accepting Jeff's hug happily. 

"How are you? How's Mickey?" Jeff asked, crossing his arms and fixing Ian with an attentive look. 

"Uh I haven't seen him since yesterday morning. He stayed at his own place last night. For once." Ian laughed. "I actually thought he'd be here by now. He's not answering his phone."

"He should be here soon. It's not often he's late." Jeff said, glancing over Ian's shoulder. It was so good to see Ian. He had panicked thinking that he wouldn't get to see him before he left. 

"Hey, what happened with the law firm? It was a while ago but I do remember you saying you were leaving." 

Jeff froze, stammering on nonsense as he struggled to find something to say. He had completely forgotten about that lie. "I uh- it fell through." He said finally. 

"Oh that sucks. What happened?"

"The firm went bankrupt. They weren't very good lawyers." Jeff laughed. "I've got a job interview tomorrow morning with another place though. Should hopefully pull through." Jeff said, securing himself an out. 

"Ian. What are you doing here?"

Jeff sighed to himself as Ian turned around, completely forgetting about Jeff now that the love of his life was here. Jeff watched with a smile as Mickey, completely at ease, greeted Ian with a kiss and a massive dopey smile.

"I came to see you. See if you were gonna come to mine tonight?" Ian asked hopefully. 

"Is Lip still there?"

"Nah he went back to college today." Ian said. 

"Then of course!" Mickey laughed. 

These moments were ultimately Jeff's best and worst moments of his life. He loved seeing Ian and Mickey so happy. He truly did and he was always so happy for them. But it fucking sucked because it meant he had to move on and worry and wonder about when he'll see them again. 

"Okay well I've gotta get back home or Fiona will have my ass." Ian sighed. "Good luck with your job interview tomorrow, Jeff. I hope I see you again before you leave!"

"Bye, Freckles." Mickey grinned, watching him go before whirling to face Jeff. "Job interview?"

"I- yeah. It's more of a formality really. I've already got the job though." Jeff admitted, laying the lie on thick.

"What? When's your last day?" Mickey asked sadly. 

"Uh today. My sister, Jessica, is going to take over and pick a new person to run this place. No one is left in the family that wants to do it." Jeff laughed. 

"Oh man, that sucks." Mickey said, heading out the back to get ready for work. 

"Yeah, I uh, Matthew is gonna be here any second but um, I have to take off already. I have some issues to sort out with my family." Jeff sighed, unable to stand being there anymore. 

"Well shit. Give a man some warning before you take off." Mickey returned looking slightly pissed off but mostly sad. 

"Sorry." Jeff shrugged as Matthew walked in. 

"Right, well, good luck then. I'm sure I'll see you again. If I ever need a lawyer I'll give you a call." Mickey laughed, pulling Jeff into a hug. 

"Yeah. Do that." Jeff faked his laugh, holding on to Mickey just a bit to tightly. "I'll see you, Mickey."

He went outside and took one last look at the place, watching Mickey yell at Matthew to get shit done, before walking down the road and turning into the nearest alley. As he prepared to leave, he had a fleeting moment of guilt for not saying goodbye to Matthew but it passed. Fuck Matthew. 

He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and left.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING. PLEASE TELL ME ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.


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